Take a beer tour: the 10 best breweries in the UK

We all love beer it seems. The art of brewing beer has been practised in the UK for many centuries and during the Middle Ages it was the monasteries who were the predominant brewers. Today there are numerous breweries throughout the UK and we’ve chosen 10 of the best that offer informative tours – and of course the chance to taste excellent British beer!

Jennings

Jennings is a traditional brewery situated in Cockermouth in the Lake District. During their excellent brewery tour you can discover how Jennings’ real ales are brewed and sample a selection of the ales. Tours of the brewery cost £8 per adult and £4.50 for children over 12 years old and are available throughout the year except January and February.

Adnams

Adnams was founded in 1872 but utilises modern equipment to produce its beers. The Adnams brewery in Southwold in Suffolk offers tours for visitors over 18 years old. Tours cost £12 per person and include the opportunity to learn about the beer-making process at the brewery as well as a tutored tasting and a bottle of beer for visitors to take home.

Black Sheep

Established in 1992, the Black Sheep Brewery is located in Masham in North Yorkshire and incorporates a traditional brewing process to create its award-winning ales. Brewery tours last about an hour, during which you will learn about the process of choosing ingredients and how the brewing procedure works. A tour costs £6.95 per adult and £4.95 for children under 17 years old, with no charge for children under 5 years old.

St Austell

St Austell is a Cornish brewery that was founded in 1851. St Austell brews real ales and beers that include award-winning cask ales and bottled ales. A tour of the Victorian brewery takes about an hour and costs £10 for adults and £7 for children over 8 years old. The tour includes samples as well as two half pints of beer or alternatively a soft drink.

Shepherd Neame

In operation since 1698, Shepherd Neame in Faversham in Kent has the claim to fame as the oldest brewer in Britain. A tour of the brewery enables you to see the likes of traditional mash tuns and delivery vehicles and to try malted barley, followed by a tutored ale and lager tasting. Tour tickets cost £12.50 per adult and £8.50 for children aged 12 to 17 years old.

Harveys

Harveys is the oldest independent brewery in Sussex. Based in Lewes, the award-winning brewery was established in 1790 and brews traditional beers. Tours of the brewery run from June to November (excluding August) with a charge of £2.50 per person and include a sampling session. Be aware that there is curently a 2 year waiting list to join one of these tours!

Hook Norton

Hook Norton brews award-winning bottled beers and real ales in Oxfordshire and offers plenty for visitors to see during a tour. A steam engine and shire horses that are used to deliver the beer to local pubs are just some of the sights that visitors can look forward to in addition to learning about the history of the brewery and its beer-making process. Tours cost £11.50 per person and are open to adults and children over the age of 12 years old.

Belhaven

Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar in East Lothian began commercial brewing in 1719. Today visitors can have a tour of the brewery for £8 per person which includes learning about how the beers are brewed and enjoying a sampling session.

Chiltern

A tour of Chiltern near Aylesbury allows visitors to explore the oldest independent brewery based within the Chiltern Hills and Buckinghamshire. During the tour visitors will learn about craft brewing and the history of the brewery followed by a tutored beer and food tasting session. Tours cost £11.50 per person and are open to adults and children aged 12 upwards.

Hall & Woodhouse

Hall & Woodhouse was founded in 1777 and is based in Blandford St Mary in Dorset. The brewery offers tours from January to November. Tours cost £10 per adult and £6.50 for children over 10 years old and include a welcome coffee, the chance to learn about the brewery’s history and smell the hops, followed by a beer tasting session and a bottle opener key ring to take home.

History and hops galore

It won’t take long for visitors to develop a taste for brewery tours thanks to the intriguing histories of the breweries and a chance to see behind the scenes where the magic happens – and of course, with all that hard effort of touring visitors can reward themselves with a refreshing pint afterwards!